Victimization in the U.S. Military: The Impact of Labeling Events on Officially Reporting Sexual Harassment

Richard J. Harris, Juanita M. Firestone

Abstract

We analyzed the extent to which type and labeling of harassment have an impact on reporting through official channels. Reinforcing earlier analyses, type of harassment impacted whether individuals reported incidents officially. Environmental harassment was far more likely to be reported through official channels. We speculate that “individualized” forms of harassment (personal, frequently directly physical in nature, leaving little room for misinterpretation by the victim or the perpetrator) may create a negative organizational image and therefore be more likely to be concealed. Since experiencing environmental harassment is strongly related to experiencing individualized harassment and is more likely to be reported through official channels, it may be the real key to creating zero-tolerance for any type of sexual harassment.

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